Hard work really does pay off, I thought to myself as I finished the workout with the Attack Pack at Garden of the Gods this morning.  Last Tuesday I was the last of the group to make it to the top of Ridge Rd.  Today, I was in the middle the pack.  It's not the number of people ahead or behind me as we finish a hill that matters, and I know that.  What really made me realize the progress I've made over the past few weeks of hill repeats, boring cross-training, and long runs in rain, wind, or shine is how good I felt when the going got tough (or should I say steep?) this morning. A few weeks ago my legs - not to mention my lungs - would have been on fire.  Today I buckled down, focused on my form, breathing, and maintaining a steady pace.  I was pleasantly surprised by my own strength as the miles past (some of them at a 7:59 pace) and the hills came and went without leaving me exhausted and regretting the fact that I rolled out of bed at 4:55am.

Distance runners are built over time.  It's not a sport that garners instant results, instead it requires patience, repetition, and trust that with training result will come.  Even knowing that, it is always makes for a euphoric run when your body truly responds to training and everything just seems to click.  What an amazing way to start my day - watching the sunrise over Garden of the Gods while feeling like a bad ass runner!